Verizon to lay off about 100 Long Beach workers

LONG BEACH >> Verizon Communications is preparing to lay off about 100 employees who have helped provide 411 information services.

The downsizing plans were confirmed on Monday by a corporate spokesman and the president of the local chapter of the Communication Workers of America who represents employees at the Long Beach facility in question.

Verizon spokesman Ray McConville said planned layoffs in Long Beach are not part of a broader corporate strategy related to 411 services, although the company has seen a decline in revenues from 411-related services as customers seem to be migrating to free online services instead of calling 411 to obtain telephone listings.

“People are dialing 411 a lot less than they used to,” McConville said.

Affected employees at the Long Beach facility will be offered severance packages, he said.

Gregg Gibson, president of Communications Workers of America Local No. 9586 said the layoff notices affect about 100 people and are set to go into effect on July 19.

Some of the affected people who have worked at the Long Beach office may be able to obtain similar jobs in Oxnard, Gibson said. Otherwise, the union is attempting to negotiate new jobs for those who received a layoff notice.

“The union is going to be looking at other places where they may have contractors and displacing them instead,” Gibson said.

Verizon Communications reported its financial results for the year’s first quarter in late April. The company reported a net income of $5.9 billion for the quarter, compared with a $4.85 billion profit earned during the first three months of 2013.